July 15, 2024
Our good friend Siham returns to continue the discussion with Azdean and Sam from Ep. 62 (May 15, 2024, https://youtu.be/ArHaowCqy44) about dangerous scams and unseemly tourism practices in Morocco.This time, the topic is discount "tour operators," the type you see in the Jemma el-Fnaa square in Marrakech (or seemingly on every street corner and cubbyhole), offering "$80 tours to Merzouga Desert" or "$20 to visit Aït Benhaddou." Impossibly cheap prices, yet tantalizing as a result.As has been said, "We hear a story too go to be true - it ain't."You might be wondering therefore what exactly comes with one of these tours, do they even go to the destination at all? How could they possibly advertise transport, breakfast and accommodation for that price? What actually happens when you sign up?Well, Siham did us a solid and went on one of these tours to Merzouga, posing as a regular "tourist," to find out.She tells us about:- Having to pay extra for AC in a hot van,- Being pres…